Patients who develop neuropsychiatric symptoms of SLE have a small nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in an intron in a Ca++ ion channel gene that influences some, but not all, events regulated by Ca++. The SNP appears to influence activation induced apoptosis rates and cytokine production, specifically IL-4, in a disease- and genotype-specific manner…
The FDA has approved Truxima (rituximab-abbs), which is biosimilar to Rituxan (rituximab), for treating adults with CD20-positive, B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma…
As physicians, we play an important role in the well-being of patients and serve as advocates to ensure our patient receives adequate healthcare services. Unfortunately, many of the policy decisions that govern our medical practices are made by bureaucrats with inadequate input from physicians. Certain constraints placed on the way we should practice medicine have…
With a number of new legislators and new governors sworn in this month, 2019 promises to be an exciting year for state-level rheumatology advocacy. “Now is the time to reach out and share our top issues with new legislators in your state,” suggests Joseph Cantrell, ACR senior manager of state affairs. 2019 Priorities ACR Affiliate…
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with high rates of cardiovascular disease. However, research has shown that aggressive risk assessment with lipid screenings and treatment with statins may be suboptimal for these patients. A new study compared the rates of screening and treatment between SLE patients, diabetes mellitus patients and the general Medicaid population. The results: Despite having an elevated risk of CVD, SLE patients received less lipid testing and fewer statin prescriptions than other patients…
Limited data are available on liver enzyme elevation in patients with RA, PsA and psoriasis being treated with tofacitinib and methotrexate. But early study findings are shedding light on the nature and risks of liver enzyme levels in these patients…
Recent post-hoc analyses of two Phase 3 clinical trials show that RA patients with high interleukin 6 levels taking sarilumab experienced improved symptoms and less joint damage than those using other treatments…
New research from the CDC shows that approximately one-third of U.S. adults with prediabetes also have arthritis, which can prevent physical activity in these patients, thereby, making it more likely they will develop type 2 diabetes…
(Reuters)—A U.S. judge signaled skepticism on Wednesday toward a bid by President Donald Trump’s administration to block a lawsuit by the state of Maryland seeking to preserve the Obamacare law in a case that also challenges Trump’s appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general. At a nearly three-hour hearing in federal court in Baltimore,…
NEW YORK (Reuters)—Cigna Corp on Thursday closed its $54-billion deal to buy Express Scripts Holding Co, creating one of the biggest providers of pharmacy benefits and insurance plans in the United States, a combination it says will help it improve healthcare coordination and cut costs. Cigna’s deal puts it in direct competition with two other…